San Francisco, September 10

Don’t let looks deceive you.The new iPhones look the same as last year’s models on the outside. But changes on the inside matter, from camera improvements to new sensors that enable quicker access to tasks.

It comes with the 3D Touch, a new way to interact with the iPhone. You save a few taps by pressing and holding on an app icon to go directly to a particular function. Microsoft’s Windows phones let you create shortcuts as home screen icons, but few people have Windows phones. On iPhones, the 3D Touch feature isn’t about enabling new functions, but getting you there quicker.

If you want to take a selfie, for instance, you can just choose ‘Take Selfie’ when you press down on the Camera app. The phone makes all the switches automatically.

With Maps, you can use 3D Touch to get directions home, find nearby businesses or message your location to a friend. With Mail, go directly to your inbox or create a new message.

From a message, you get a preview of a webpage by pressing on a web link. Similarly, you get a map preview by pressing on an address. Press harder to switch to the browser or Maps app. A new iPhone software update adds a back button so you can jump right back to what you were doing, even in a different app.

As for the camera, selfie fans will appreciate having the phone’s display mimic a flash. It’s not a real flash like the main camera, but the display lights up briefly so you can see faces in low-light settings.

With a feature called Live Photos, the iPhone camera records an extra second or so before you take still shots so that images appear in motion. You need an iPhone, iPad or Mac with the latest software to view it, though, which could limit sharing with your Android and Windows family and friends.

The changes aren’t revolutionary, but the new iPhones have enough new features to consider buying over an older model. The new phones aren’t coming out until September 25, although advance orders begin Saturday.

As for Apple’s other products:iPad Pro (coming in November)The iPad Pro does have promise for heavy-duty users, particularly if you pay $99 for a stylus and $169 for a physical keyboard cover, on top of the $799 starting price.

The keyboard doesn’t feel as flimsy as ones for Microsoft’s Surface tablets, but you don’t get to change viewing angles as the Surface’s adjustable kickstands allow.

The new stylus is called Apple Pencil. That’s not an Apple Pen, mind you. The stylus does mimic a pencil when you try to draw on the iPad Pro’s screen. When you choose a black pencil, it comes out grey, like a real pencil. The line appears thicker when you press harder, and you can shade in areas by drawing with the Pencil lightly from an angle.

Apple TV (coming in October)Although Apple TV’s new app store will enable non-video apps, such as games and home automation, video will remain the centrepiece.

The new remote shows a lot of promise, with a touchpad much like what’s found on laptops. You can fast forward more quickly, or even hit the microphone button and tell the Siri voice assistant to ‘fast forward five minutes’. And when you encounter dialogue that’s mumbled, just say, “What did she say?” Siri will rewind 15 seconds and temporarily turn on closed captioning.

New software (coming next Wednesday)A preliminary ‘beta’ version of the new iOS 9 shows one can get transit directions on Apple Maps and scroll through photos more quickly. The font is bolder and easier to read.

The update isn’t as huge as what one got in previous years. Likewise, the Apple Watch’s software update will enable new types of third-party apps. It should address many of the watch’s current limitations, but it’ll take time to try out.

Over $71m owed in taxes

BEIJING: A Chinese subsidiary of US tech giant Apple failed to pay 452 million yuan in taxes (now $71 million) due at the end of 2013, Beijing’s finance ministry said. Apple has already paid the back taxes, along with late fees totalling 65 million yuan, the ministry said on its website. California-based Apple’s products are hugely popular in China and the country is increasingly one of its most important markets. Apple’s infraction — it included maintenance costs in pretax deductions — was detailed as part of a larger report posted on Wednesday on finance ministry inspections into a variety of Chinese and foreign companies. The audit found Apple Computer Trading (Shanghai) Co under-reported revenue by 8.79 billion yuan and over-reported profit by 5.35 billion yuan. The company also understated costs of 3.45 billion yuan, the report said, along with unspecified ‘violation issues’. Apple representatives in China could not immediately be reached for comment. — AFP